Depending on where you are on the Ben Simmons optimism/pessimism spectrum, The Athletic will confirm your hope or despair.
At around 9:30 a.m. Friday, Joe Vardon of the website wrote this about the prospects of Simmons returning this season...
Ben Simmons is not close to playing for the Nets. He is not likely to be ready for the start of the playoffs, I was told Thursday, as he’s still trying to recover from a recurring back injury that required an injection last month.
This is about two different things: It’s about trading for a former All-Star, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who is 6-foot-10, can run the floor, move the ball and doesn’t need to shoot, and maybe not having him at all.